1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to motor vehicle accessories and, in particular, concerns a remote control interface that is configured to manage, control, and operate a plurality of audio and/or video components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Motor vehicles, such as automobiles, recreational vehicles, boats, and motorcycles, are often equipped with a factory-installed entertainment system prior to shipment. Factory-installed entertainment systems include audio and/or video components, such as stereos, video cassette players, compact disc (CD) players, digital video disc (DVD) players, television receivers, satellite receivers, and traditional radio receivers. Over time, motor vehicles have been equipped with increasingly more sophisticated entertainment systems that tend to provide increased sound performance, increased visual performance, and more operational features, such as ease of access and use.
Typically, the electronic system control (ESC) devices for the above-mentioned entertainment systems are positioned adjacent the driver's seat of the motor vehicle in a manner such that the driver may easily access and operate the control devices while driving the motor vehicle. Unfortunately, even though the control devices are typically positioned somewhat adjacent the driver's seat, the control devices are generally not within the driver's field of view. Often, the driver is required to look at the control devices and remove at least one hand from the steering wheel or steering control mechanism of the motor vehicle to manipulate the control devices. This particular situation may create a potentially dangerous hazard, and, in some respects, numerous accidents have occurred as a result of the driver diverting attention away from safely operating the motor vehicle to accomplish some other task. Additionally, the typical location for the control devices may be relatively inaccessible to some of the passengers. For example, if the control devices are located adjacent the driver in the front seat of a passenger automobile, the passengers in the back seat may not be able to access the control devices to adjust the operation of the entertainment system. Therefore, the passengers usually ask the driver to adjust the electronic system control settings, which may further distract the driver from safely operating the motor vehicle.
To address these particular issues, motor vehicle manufacturers currently offer local electronic system control devices that are positioned in more favorable locations for the driver and/or the passenger(s) to access. For example, many current production automobiles incorporate local controls mounted on the steering wheel of the motor vehicle, wherein the local controls typically comprise push-button switches that allow the user to control a particular setting or operation of the entertainment system, such as volume adjustment, radio channel reception settings, or playing format adjustments. Similarly, motor vehicles may also incorporate local electronic system controls that are easily accessed by the passengers. For example, some larger vehicles incorporate and position electronic system control buttons adjacent the backseat passenger location in a manner such that the passengers may adjust the operation of the entertainment system. As a result, these types of local controls may reduce the likelihood that the driver's attention will be diverted away from the path of travel of the motor vehicle or from the safe operation of the motor vehicle.
Unfortunately, even though the above-mentioned local electronic system control devices may improve the flexibility of adjusting the operation of the entertainment system, the local control devices are generally rendered inoperable when the factory-installed entertainment system is replaced with an after-market entertainment system. In one aspect, the owner of a motor vehicle may become dissatisfied with the factory-installed entertainment system, and the owner may choose to replace the factory-installed entertainment system with a different after-market entertainment system.
Typically, replacement entertainment systems are of higher quality and offer greater and/or different performance characteristics than factory-installed entertainment systems. In addition, after-market entertainment systems are typically less expensive than comparable factory-installed entertainment systems and offer a more economical replacement in case the original entertainment system is stolen or damaged.
Unfortunately, installing an after-market entertainment system may render the local electronic system control buttons inoperable. Typically, the local control devices are connected to the original entertainment system via a hardwired assembly that is specifically designed to connect the local control devices to the particular factory-installed entertainment system. As a result, the replacement entertainment system may not be properly configured to readily connect or easily interface with the hardwired local control devices.
One possible solution to the above-mentioned problem is to provide a handheld wireless remote control device along with the replacement entertainment system. For example, the replacement entertainment system may be adapted to receive wireless control signals from the handheld remote control device in a manner such that the person holding the handheld remote control device may then control the operation of the replacement entertainment system without touching the controls on the front face of the entertainment system. Although a handheld remote control device may allow for people positioned remotely from the entertainment system to control the operation of the replacement entertainment system, the handheld remote control devices are generally unsatisfactory for many motor vehicle drivers and passengers.
In particular, the handheld remote control device may be easily misplaced, lost, or not readily accessible to the occupants of the motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is in operation. Moreover, the handheld remote control device often requires the occupants of the motor vehicle to specifically point the device in the direction of the replacement entertainment system wireless receiver in a manner such that the wireless receiver may receive the appropriate wireless signal to adjust the operation of the entertainment system.
If the driver of the motor vehicle is using the remote control, the driver may have to divert attention away from the path of travel of the vehicle and the operation of the vehicle, locate the appropriate control buttons on the handheld remote control, and then point the handheld remote control in the direction of the entertainment system receiver. Therefore, while the above-described handheld remote control device may allow for the remote control of a replacement entertainment system, the remote control device may not provide the desirable convenience of utilizing local control devices positioned in the motor vehicle that are adapted to be used in conjunction with the factory-installed entertainment system.
Conventional factory-installed control devices are typically configured to only operate and control one factory-installed device. Additional after-market control devices usually require their own remote controller for operation and control. Therefore, the user would have to operate multiple control devices with more than one controller. For the driver, this situation is inconvenient and further diverts attention away from operating the motor vehicle.
Recent advances in voice recognition technology and motor vehicle quieting have made it possible to implement voice activated controls in motor vehicles. In one aspect, the 2000 S Type Jaguar offers such a system as a factory option. A voice recognition system is able to recognize the sound pattern of a spoken word or phrase and enact a corresponding action, such as turning on high beams, locking a door, increasing the volume of a stereo, etc. However, as a factory installed feature, typical voice command systems suffer the same limitations as local electronic system controls, wherein the factory-installed features work well with the factory-supplied components but typically will not readily function with after-market equipment. Some replacement entertainment systems are available with included voice recognition features. However, these entertainment systems tend to be quite expensive and the voice recognition feature only works with that particular entertainment system.
From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that there is a need for an entertainment system that allows for existing local control devices to be utilized in conjunction with a replacement entertainment system. In addition, there is a need for a local electronic system control device that may be adapted to interface with an existing factory-installed hardwired control network. Furthermore, there is also a need for a method to economically retrofit a voice recognition system to effectively control a variety of after-market entertainment systems. Furthermore, there is a need for an ESC device that will allow the user to control multiple entertainment devices with the same set of local controls.